The Simple Life: OR NOT
by Pixel-chan
Summary: Aya, tricked into owning a run down farm by her mother, is reluctant to move onto her new land. When she does, she's stunned to find a cruel, charismatic boy named Toya staying there already! What awaits Aya in her new life  besides the culture shock?
1. Chapter 1

_**I do not own Harvest Moon, but some of these characters **__**are**__** mine. Mainly, they're based on the Gamecube characters, but I haven't played for a while so I can't remember who they are. That's why there will be some differences.**_

**_Please Read & Review! Free farm animals for everyone who does!_**

_**The Simple Life… or not**_

It was a bitingly cold winter day; snow lay thickly on the ground and the trees' skeletal branches creaked quietly in the wind.

A few of the sturdier flowers poked their heads out of the snow, their stems and leaves submerged. The river was running normally, but around the edges thin sheets of ice that hadn't been broken up by the current still drifted. Some white ducks that populated the icy stream were huddled together in a clump of reeds nearby.

The only road out of town was unpaved and covered with snow just as thickly. No footprints yet broke the even surface; it seemed to glow in the dim morning light.

The daughter of a large woman - Kagura Shiwa- and askinny, unkempt man - Kyou Shiwa - who lived on the small horticultural farm stepped out into the beautiful snowy scene. The fields, neatly enclosed inside a picket fence and watched over by an eternally grinning scarecrow, lay barren and empty. The greenhouses were steamed up and locked tight; inside were all the crops the town could use to eat.

The girl's name was Saiyo; she was painfully shy but she loved nothing more than tending and learning about plants. When she wasn't working her family farm, she studied up on plants or read trashy romance novels that she hid from her parents beneath her mattress. She tugged the large bow she was wearing around her neck nervously. It had been her mother's idea and she hadn't been able to say 'no', even though she really didn't want to wear it.

She dragged her feet through the snow until she reached the first of the three long greenhouses. She began to fumble with her keys, her expression mild, when an unexpected and unfamiliar voice shook the peaceful setting.

"**This is a frickin' set up! You tricked me – come pick me up RIGHT NOW!!**"

Saiyo turned anxiously to see a girl she didn't know stomping down the road that lead to the outside world. Her hair was bright blue, probably dyed, and she was dragging an unsuitable wheeled suitcase behind her. A phone was pressed to her ear and she was glaring into the middle distance viciously. She seemed to be a few years older than Saiyo, but she couldn't tell.

"I'm lucky to even _get_ this signal! I musta just caught it from a main one – but I won't get another one for **years!** This ain't no luxury villa, it's a dilapidated little… little… little…! Well, it's smack-bang in the middle of nowhere, and I want **out! **You hear me, mother?! I'll never forgive you for this!" The girl yelled angrily.

Saiyo turned around to watch properly; and then, after a moment's consideration, began to walk very cautiously over to the stranger who had staggered to a standstill before walking into the open space.

"**Hey! Can you hear me? **Dangit, the signal's breaking up…! **Hey, hey! Answer me!! **Just come gimme a lift – I've walked too much and I'm _beat!_ …Mother? _MOTHER? Hey! _This ain't funny – I'm not cut out for manual labour!" There was a pause as the girl stared at her phone in disbelief; then she snarled, snapped it shut and rammed it into her front pocket.

Saiyo had finally made it near the girl; she stood uncertainly before her.

"Oh, and whadda _you_ want? Is this your idea of the freakin' _welcome wagon?_" The girl snapped; Saiyo flinched. "When's the next bus outta here?"

"Umm… there aren't any… buses…"

"Oh, _what? _That is just _typical!! _I ain't gonna walk home and there ain't no buses or trains for _miles!_" The girl groaned. "They tricked me, dammit!"

"Um…"

"There ain't a hotel or inn in this dump, is there?"

"Yes… an inn… I can…"

"Don't bother yerself! I can find it just fine!" The girl snapped, and she stomped away again. Suddenly, a yellow piece of paper she had been brandishing fluttered onto the snow. Saiyo hurried – as much as she _ever_ hurried, that is – and picked it up.

"Wai… wait! You dropped…" She glanced down. It was a deed – for the farm on the top of the hill! Saiyo gazed at it mutely.

"Oh – that ain't none of _your_ beeswax," the girl said hastily, snatching it back. "Sheesh! Figures you'd be a nosy little brat!"

"Umm… are you…?"

"I ain't got nuthin' to do with that place! It belongs to me, yeah, but I'm gonna sell it off an' be on my way. Now move, runt!"

"Eh…?"

The girl realised she didn't want to walk back the way she had come, where Saiyo was standing, and actually needed to go the _other_ way. Flushing a little, she turned and stomped onwards without an apology.

-------------------------------------

"**Whaddaya MEAN, you don't got a room for me?! Don't you want my cash or not?"**

"I'm sorreeee, but that's the waay it issss," the boy at the desk trilled. He seemed to be practicing some kind of bizarre accent. "You can take it up with the management…"

"Maybe I will!"

"…or you _could_, if they were _here_," the boy finished primly. He examined his nails.

"Urgh… y'mean I hafta _stay _at that dump?"

"Hmm? Are you, perchaaaaance, the new owner of the farm?"

"Uh… no. Well, yeah – but I ain't no farmer!"

"I see. A reluctant new visitoooor. Wellll thennnn, run along!"

"_Treat yer elders with some respect, kid!_" The girl bellowed, seizing his shirt collar.

"Ho my!"

"What's your name? I'm gonna report you and get you _fired!_"

"It's Tomaru Gozou," the boy said quickly, dropping out of his accent. "As in 'The Gozou Family Inn'."

"Huh?"

"My parents own this place, so my job is secured. However, my parents are currently visiting my grandparents – on my father's side – and I have been left in charge. Our two rooms are already booked up… I'm very sorry."

"_Two _rooms? _Two?_"

"Yes, it is a little small…" the boy conceded uncomfortably. "Could you let go of me now, please?"

The girl growled and stalked out of the Inn, slamming the door hard behind her. A plant pot fell over undramatically. Tomaru sighed, sucked at his lip for a moment thoughtfully, and then pulled a dirty script out from under the counter. He started to read through it, playing every character in only marginally varied voices, his eyebrows waggling madly.

---------------------

The farm wasn't what Aya had been lead to expect. She had been told the buildings were run down, the fields barren, the livestock long gone, the duck pond cluttered and polluted (all right, it still was). But everything – besides the pond – was perfect.

Most of the buildings looked somewhat new, as though they'd been repainted and repaired by someone. A pair of black and white cows were grazing in the field, along with a brown house and three sheep – white as the snow around them, apart from the third, a black one.

A group of three or four chickens and a rooster strutted around the farm as though they owned the place; fences, the gaps between the posts covered with chicken wire, had been set up to stop them going too far.

She let herself in, pushing open the gate and blundering over to the main building. The house where the farmhand, who she was informed now just delivered farm produce to other towns by foot, seemed cold and empty. She walked up to the front door of the larger one and knocked stupidly.

A boy answered it. He looked to be the same age as Aya was, dressed in dungarees and wearing a straw hat. He was clad in thick socks, a pair of his boots dumped clumsily by the front door. His hair was wild but a normal brown colour; as normal, his gaze shot straight to her electric blue hair. He held a riceball in his hand and a mouthful of rice impeded him from speaking for a moment.

"Who're you?" He asked at last, still struggling with the food in his mouth but managing to be sneering and obnoxious.

"I could ask you just the same thing," Aya snapped, already irritated by his manner. "_I _own this dump! Who'n the heck are _you_, and whaddaya doin' here?"

"What does it _look_ like I'm doing?" He replied icily. "I'm farming. And you might have the deed to the farm, but I took the place on since you'd been gone for so long."

"I don't care! Get outta my house!" Aya snarled, and she pushed her way in.

The main room was a complete mess. It was furnished with nice, simple furniture, but covered with cloths to look better. A double bed stood in the corner, unmade – a huge TV set stood beside the bed, blaring across the room too loudly.

Outdated newspapers and magazines, books, heaps of clothes, dirty plates and cups – they all lay everywhere, covering every surface including the floor. The windows hadn't been opened in a long while so the room stank; it hadn't been wiped, dusted or hovered since he'd moved in, it seemed. Aya covered her nose, disgusted.

"_What do ya think yer doin' to my property?"_ She shrieked. "Geddout now, you lazy no good bum!"

"Do you think I'll do that after so long? I'm staying right here, and you've no means to remove me," the boy replied. "Besides which, it's obvious you don't want to be here, City Slicker. If you _do_ have me removed, it will be through stubbornness and spite rather than anything else… isn't that so?"

"_No! _I got every right ta throw ya off my land. Look what ya did to it!"

"I fixed it up and got it going again. Could you even sustain it without my help?"

"I don't really care – just get out!"

"Why don't you stay in that house over there? It's clean and nobody's using it. And _I'm_ in this one; there's got to be some give and take," he said generously. Then he smirked.

"Oh, that does it!" Aya yelled, snapping. "_Get offa my land!_"

She tried to push him out the door, possibly kicking him in the shins as she went, but he grabbed her wrists and hurled her backwards first. She landed heavily, grunting, and remained where she fell. The boy closed the door smartly.

"Now listen here," he said coldly. "I don't care what pieces of paper you wave or what things you scream. All girls like you can _do_ is expect others to fix things up for you. Now – I understand that this is your land, and you must be surprised for me to be here; so I'll forgive your attempted physical assault on me."

"I… I had… ev'ry right to –" Aya tried to protest, but the boy kneeled by her side without a word and clapped his hand hard over her mouth. She gasped in surprise and fright.

"But I'm not going anywhere. I'm accustomed to this lifestyle, and as far as I'm concerned, this farm will be wrecked if I give it away again," he continued. "_You_ can move into that house over the way. _I _will be staying here and continuing to tend the farm. Do you understand, City Slicker? Just nod if you do."

Aya scowled and nodded. She hated this guy so, so much, but he gave off a dangerous aura. She couldn't disagree with him because, well, he was her physical better; he could really hurt her right now. And she couldn't think up an argument anyway, because she was too shocked for words.

"Good. So run along," the boy said, hauling her up unfeelingly and practically slinging her out the door. She barely managed to keep her balance; she turned to look at him and was smacked in the face by a bunch of keys.

"Hey!" She cried weakly, somehow catching them as they dropped.

"You _are_ the landowner, so you'd best have a set of keys. Those are just the spares, anyway, so I really don't mind," he said, going to close the door. Then he stopped and opened it again, as though having an afterthought, and called out to her again. "My name is Toya. It's very inconvenient to meet you."

And he closed the door.

_WHAT is going on here? How is that __**boy**__ managing to worm himself into my farm, and why aren't I doing somethin' about it?_ Aya wondered, blundering into her new home, shocked. It was sparsely furnished, not that she noticed; she just made sure the door was locked with the key hanging on the hook besides the door – which wasn't on her main set, so she presumed with relief that it was the only one and 'Toya' didn't have a copy.

Then she slumped down on the floor, pressing one hand to her head, and stared in disbelief at the tatami mat beneath her.

_**What the heck was going on?**_


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks all for the reviews! I'm very, very grateful. Here are your unspecified farm animals as promised. I haven't yet worked out if I can respond, so… I'll just respond here. I'm glad you liked it, so here's Chapter 2!  
Apologies for any delays, I'm trying to do too many Fanfics at once.

I think this chapter might be a bit weaker than the first. Sorry…

CHAPTER 2 

Aya groaned as she awoke. She really didn't want to be here; or, more accurately, she really didn't want Toya to be here. But when she braved a glance out of her curtains, he was nonchalantly letting the chickens out of their coop. She sighed, sat at the table, and started to make a list. When she made a list, it kept her calm – she could understand what she was doing.

Point One – well, obviously, get Toya off her land. But for the meantime she was going to have to live here, so…

**1. GET RID OF TOYA.**

**2. Buy food.**

**3. Buy combs, soap etc.**

For now, that would be all. She didn't intend to settle in very much, and she was going to get back into her _real_ house as soon as possible. So she added a forth point -

**4. Clean up house & move in.**

She would specify how to do that, exactly, as soon as possible. She splashed her face with water, tugged on the woollen hat that her mother had packed, and prepared for battle. She stomped out to the front of the house, and almost collapsed in shock when Toya appeared besides her holding a wicker basket.

"You can do some work for a change, too, City Slicker," he said calmly, handing her the basket. "I doubt you know how to do very much, but there are eggs in the coop. Don't tread on any, City Slicker, and if they're labelled as 'Fertile' put them in the incubator. Got it?"

"Don't boss me around," Aya snapped, shoving the basket back at her annoying… well, the correct term would be squatter. "I'm going into town to do a few things. _Don't_ wreck anything!"

"I won't, City Slicker."

"And stop callin' me that!"

"What?"

"City Slicker! Stop callin' me it!"

"I have never once called you 'it', City Slicker. And I can say what I want to because it's a free country."

"_What are you, a freakin' four year old?_"

"I _doubt_ a four-year-old would understand the freedoms we have in this miscellaneous country."

"Yeah, well – well – "

"If you won't do any work, at least get some things for me… 'in town'," Toya said, smirking. "The travelling salesman, Kobubu, is in town today. Go buy a 'Sheller' for me."

"What the _heck _is a _sheller?_"

"Oh, of course _you_ wouldn't know. I forgot," Toya said thoughtfully; then he smiled broadly and walked away.

-------------------------

Aya was glad to get off her farm, but still hopping mad. She'd been hoping to waste the day meeting residents, but now she was too agitated. She pulled out the two lists she now held; a list of things to buy, including the 'sheller' – if she felt like it – and a list of things to do.

She glared at her 'To Do' list mutinously; and then a warm, motherly voice blared too loudly into her ear.

"Oh, then are you planning on _staying_ at the farm?" The voice asked, bordering on a screaming demand.

"_Yow!_" Aya yelled back, staggering into a nearby fencepost.

"From what Saiyotchi said, I thought you'd be leaving it as soon as possible. But I guess you're staying. How is the border? I hear he's quite efficient!" The voice hollered.

Her entire head and eyes spinning, though not literally, Aya leaned on the fence for support.

"Uh… border?"

"Yes! Toya."

"_Toya?_"

"Didn't he say? That's his name!" It bellowed cheerfully.

"I _know_ his _name_, but he's not – he ain't a border, he's a frickin' _squatter!_"

"A squatter?"

"Yeah! He didn't get permission to stay up there!"

"Oh my… I had no idea," the voice said a little more softly. Aya finally looked up.

A matronly woman, meaning she was plump and held large 'assets', her hair knotted into one large unattractive pigtail down her back, stood before her. One hand covered her mouth in mild disapproving surprise; her eyes were a little reproachful.

"I'm Ma Thesby!" She screamed suddenly, and Aya almost fell backwards again. "I own a house over that way, and I work at the OFFICES!"

"The _huh?_"

"The OFFICES! They do paperwork about, oh, everything! It's a research organisation that looks into village life and adapting to living with nature. You'll just love it!"

"Uh… huh?"

"Yes, life is grand here," Ma Thesby nodded proudly. "Enjoy yourself!!"

"Yes," Aya agreed, too deafened to hear the last statement. She mentally reminded herself to review the To Do list – she seemed to have forgotten that she needed to leave.

----------------

Twenty disappointing minutes later, Aya had been unable to find any shops apart from the one owned by the travelling merchant. There was something quite off putting about it, and about him.

It could have been the animal furs used to cover the wares and the stand, or perhaps the pistol that was lying, loaded, in his lap. Or the creepy sign reading 'KOBUBU SHOPS' that seemed to be written in chalk, on a piece of driftwood.

It may have been that most of his wares were dead or stuffed animals; meaning that not all of them were stuffed. Some of them probably weren't dead and seemed to be twitching a bit.

Or it could have been the unpleasant smell of fish. Or the whole fish – which were getting on in age – dangling on the belt the merchant wore.

Or it might have been the loud, tuneless blasting he incessantly 'played' on his pipe. It looked handmade, and very badly so.

But, unable to find anywhere else, Aya confronted her fears and talked to him

"Hey, you! I wanna know if you carry any of this stuff," Aya said loudly, unfolding her list. "Uh…"

"YES! I will help you!" The merchant said, suddenly dropping his pipe – literally, it fell to the floor.

"…Do ya have any combs or soap?"

"CONES! I can sell you cones," the merchant said eagerly, offering a box of pinecones. They were tatty and muddy.

"No, _combs_ – for combing my hair," Aya insisted.

"HAIR! HAIR! I will sell!" The merchant offered, patting the pelt hanging over his head and dropping the box. Literally. "BUT! But only for a good price."

"Never mind. Do ya have any soap, or toothpaste, or –"

"SOAP! What is?"

"… This is unbelievable."

"What say?"

"Nuthin'! So what about bread? You got bread, right?"

"BREAD! I have!" The merchant nodded. He produced a roll that stank of fish. "Is fish bread, is my own recipe. You buy!"

"No… normal bread?"

"NO normal bread!"

"Okay, fine... Well, whaddabout… a 'sheller'?"

A silence fell over the merchant and he looked thoughtful.

"SHELLER?"

"Yes. Do ya have any?"

"YES! I have!" The merchant screamed. He hurled something furry at Aya's face. "Please take, no charge! No charge, please have, is gift! Buy buy buy, give give give!"

Aya screamed as the thing scrabbled at her with sharp claws. She pulled it off; it was a pale orange monkey. It looked at her with watery eyes; it was wearing a small green topped hat and a revolving red bowtie.

"What the heck is _this _thing?"

"SHELLER!"

"This is a sheller?"

"YES! Is Sheller!"

"I don't suppose ya do home delivery?"

"_WHAT IS?_"

"Uh, forget it," Aya said, holding the Sheller out at arms length. It drooped sadly.

Aya turned away, trudging back up to the farm.

"If you want to find things, you have to forage and make them yourself," someone in a perfect English accent called. Aya spun around; Kobubu was staring at her innocently. She frowned, and turned away again.

"Have a nice day!"

This time Kobubu was picking up his pipe; as Aya opened her mouth to frame a question, he began to shriek down it again. Literally.

------------------

"I got this _thing_ for ya," Aya snapped, holding it out gingerly to Toya. He was reclining on a bench outside the barn, a small mystery murder fiction in one hand and a half-eaten apple in the other.

"What thing?"

"_This_ thing! Yer 'Sheller'!"

"Were you always so obedient, or is it my charisma?"

"_What?_"

"I don't want it. You can have it."

"B… but I don't want it, either! What does it _do?_"

"How should I know? Shell things, I presume."

"Ya sneaky _git!_"

"Excuse me?"

"Get off my land! _I_ own this property, not you! An' you got no right to be here!!"

"I'm staying," Toya replied, idly turning a page of his book. "Oh, by the way, I've done all my work for today, so I'm reading in the bracing fresh air."

"Yer a freak!"

"And _you're_ a City Slicker. You're in my light, I can't see what I'm reading."

"Good! **Go blind!!"**

"That's very rude."

"And where are the _shops_ in this danged place? Ain't a girl able ta buy some ready meals?"

"You have to find ingredients and cook for yourself. Sorry, City Slicker."

"W…"

"Shocked, are we?" He closed his book primly. "And don't expect to use the produce I have grown, that's for my benefit."

"I… I ain't interested in yer stinkin' rottin' crap! _Keep_ it! It's tainted, anyway!"

"By what?"

"_You!_"

"I see. Enjoy your meal tonight," Toya said. He slid off the bench and, without a backwards glance, disappeared into the main house. Aya could only stand and gawp in a furious, angry silence.

-------------

"It's lucky I got these biscuits with me," Aya said hotly, cramming one in her mouth. Sheller gnawed his pensively. "I mighta starved ta death otherwise!"

"Ook."

"Aw, you ain't so bad, I guess. But I gotta figure out what yer good for," Aya said, waving a biscuit distractedly. She grimaced unexpectedly. "Biscuits an' tap water ain't no way to live…"

"Ook." 

"I'm sorry if I treated yer rough," she added, handing Sheller another biscuit. He took it politely. "I was just in a bad mood. Guess you'n me are gonna be housemates, huh?"

"Ook."

"Yeah. And we gotta figure out how ta get rid of that _lout_, Toya…"

"**Ook.**"

"Oh! You feel strong about it, too? I guess we're allies, then!"

"Ook."

"I got stitched up by my own mother. Can you believe that?"

"Ook," Sheller said. He popped both biscuits into his mouth easily.

"That all yer gonna say?"

Sheller paused, considering something. Then he shrugged one shoulder.

"Eeek."

"Oh. Cool."

"Ook."

"Yeah… there ain't no police force in this danged town, neither, so I can't rely on _them_. And I don't think nobody cares he's a squatter," Aya said thoughtfully. Then she pounded her fist on the table furiously; Sheller jumped. "_'Or is it my charisma?'_ Charisma my butt! He's a jerk and that's _it!_"

"Oo… ook," Sheller said nervously.

"Well, guess I'll hit the hay," Aya said. "You comin', Sheller?"

"Oooooooooook."

"Uh huh. Oh – wait…" Aya pulled out her To Do list and crossed number four out. "I dunno what I was thinkin'. Stay here? _Me? _Not likely!"

"Ook."

"Right. I'm goin' ta bed. An' in the morning, we'll get that guy fer _sure!_" Aya declared loudly.

__

Toya stood at the window of his house, watching Aya's. The light in her windows eventually went out; he smiled shortly and coldly, and turned to face the beautiful maiden sitting at his kotatsu.

"She's already furious at me, so I'm covered," he said calmly. "This will be too easy."

"You're too good at this, Toya," the girl said. She was almost glowing. In fact… she really _was_ glowing… 

"I'm doing what you asked. This is all going to plan. So get lost, would you?"

"That's no way to talk to a Goddess!" The girl protested.

"I don't care. _You're_ the one who approached _me._"

"Hmm. I wonder if I should have done," the Harvest Goddess said playfully. Then she rose and, smiling slightly with relief and gratitude, she disappeared in a blaze of golden light.

Toya stood for a moment, and then turned on the television with a bored flick of the remote.

The wan, waxy beauty of the snowy night wore on, Aya and Sheller sleeping through it all, and Toya seated restlessly in front of the palely glowing television set; every now and then, his eyes would flick with mild interest and annoyance towards the window…


	3. Chapter 3

**Yaay! I'm really glad y'all like my story. I'll be focusing on it, because it's also very fun to write. But you're right, Senhime, I haven't really described Toya much – I'll try to do that in this chapter. But – I won't tell you what happens! Romance IS central to the plot in one way or another, though. Not necessarily between those two.**

**In the last chapter, the spacing and emboldening etc. went kinda weird in this intro, please ignore that…**

**CHAPTER 3**

Aya peeped out of the net curtains waspishly. As usual, Toya was hard at work on the farm, patting a cow as she grazed. He turned and disappeared back into the barn; the animals gazed after him lovingly.

"I don't get why those danged animals like him so much," Aya growled. "He's a loser."

"Ook," Sheller said, sat on Aya's shoulder.

"Look, could ya turn the revolvin' bow tie off? It's really annoying."

"Ook…" Sheller said sadly, turning it off.

Aya frowned as she watched Toya walk briskly to the chicken coop. There was an indefinable air of _something_ about him; what, though, she had no idea. He was certainly charismatic and charming when he needed to be; the entire town loved him. And even when he was being cruel and cold, he looked kind of… well… _cool. _But she'd never admit it to anyone.

His hair was an ordinary brown, and sometimes looked red in the right light – like most brown-haired people do. His eyes were pale blue sometimes, and other times so startlingly bright blue they matched Aya's crazy hair colour. His clothes were perfectly normal, for a farmer, and didn't especially suit him. But in some kind of anti-cool way, he had become cool by not caring how he looked. It also made him look rather handsome, in a rugged busy way.

But he wasn't a rugged manly man, no. He looked like a skinny athletic type, or maybe a good student who still knows how to party. He looked delicate; refined; compassionate; cold and cool; masculine… actually, if he weren't such a complete jerk and a squatter, Aya might have considered sharing a farm with him as a long-term prospect.

As it was, she told herself very firmly, she couldn't stand the guy _or_ his rudeness. She stalked out of her house, Sheller gripping her shoulder nervously. As she expected, Toya emerged from the coop; spotted her; and began to make his way toward her.

"Good morning, City Slicker."

"Good morning, Bastard Squatter," she replied in the same toneless tone. He looked a little surprised; inwardly she glowed with triumph.

"It's unusual to see you up so early," Toya continued icily. "I expected you to laze around for another hour or so."

"You give me more credit than is due, Squatter. Normally I get up _three hours_ from now."

Toya glared at her stonily and suspiciously; why was she feeding him useful information like this? Aya smiled innocently.

"I'm going out again. I want to look around and meet the local folk."

"Good for you," Toya said sarcastically, recovering slightly. "You won't find any internet cafes though."

"Oh, how retro…" Aya replied pityingly. "You're so sweet, Toto."

"_Toto?_" He repeated, shocked.

"Wow, that's the first time you've looked human since I met you," Aya said, struggling not to laugh. "See you later, Toto."

She walked away unbothered, Toya simply standing where she left him. She radiated confidence, vitality and _overflowing joy._ She felt so good, she thought she probably melted the snow where she touched it.

Once a safe distance from the farm, she let herself give one gleeful whoop; and then calmly headed off to the farm she had passed when she first arrived in town with the intention of hanging around there _all day_ and thinking up new comebacks for when Toya would undoubtedly confront her when she went home.

----------------------

As Toya worked the small patch of field around the back of the farm, he pounded the dirt hard with his fist all of a sudden. His head was hanging low; his body was shaking from some imperceptible emotion.

Then he tilted his head back, stared at the sky, and let rip an enormous volley of happy laughter that shook the saplings before him. Had anyone been around to see it, they would have wondered what could have amused the joyful farmer so as he knelt in the loose soil.

Then he collected his thoughts, dusted himself down and began to prepare unfeelingly for Round Two.

She thought she'd got the better of him, did she? She had no idea just how terrible he could be…

----------------------

"So this farm has been in your family for _how_ long?" Aya asked, feigning interest. Kagura Shiwa smiled indulgently and pushed another cup of hot tea over to her guest.

"For three generations," she repeated proudly. "We've passed through _all_ the latest technologies, but I tell you, hand-rearing is the best."

"Is that right? I'll have to tell my labourer that…"

"Oh, Toya? He's all right, but he doesn't seem cut out for farm work," Kagura said dubiously.

"He probably ain't, but the poor kid was so determined… it's hard to turn 'em down and crush their fragile l'il dreams, ain't it?"

"I'm sure," Kagura said, relishing the gossip. "My daughter has a natural green thumb, though – Saiyo, that is. She's working with her father right now."

"I thought so. In the greenhouses, right?"

"Yes, that's right. I should be running the shop really, but on such a cold day, nobody _else_ is going to pass through."

"Oh no, I don't wanna keep ya from yer work," Aya said innocently.

"It's no trouble!"

"Are ya sure?"

"Very. By the way, what kind of accent is that?"

"Oh, that'd be – "

"Kagura!" Someone interrupted suddenly. Kyou, the man of the household, was leaning wearily on the windowsill. Kagura glanced up distractedly.

"Yes, Kyou?"

"Are you going to do _any _work today?"

"I'm sorry," Aya said immediately. "I shouldn't be buggin' ya. You must be so busy an' all…"

Kyou looked taken aback; he pushed his knitted cap further onto his head.

"Well, I… I don't think… well, no…"

"Kyou, stop babbling and get on with something useful!" Kagura instructed firmly.

"I'll send Saiyo over and you two can chat. And _you_, Kagura," he added meaningfully, "can come run the shop for a while!"

"As long as our guest isn't left unattended," Kagura nodded primly, rising with great effort from her seat and patting her skirt out neatly. She winked at Aya. "I'll talk to you more later."

"I look forward to it," Aya said earnestly. Kagura patted Sheller as she walked away; Aya grinned.

"We're doin' well, Sheller. We gotta get as many of these folks as possible on our side!"

"Ook."

"_Plus_ we get some proper food round here…"

"Ook!"

Then Saiyo walked in. She was wearing a thick dress and a warm woollen jumper over it. A straw hat adorned her scruffy hair without much effect and with no relevance to her ensemble. She smiled shyly and took her boots off; Aya smiled encouragingly back.

"Ya got blonde hair," Aya said right away. Saiyo looked up, startled. "I always liked blonde hair. I don't care what people think."

"Um… yes… thanks…"

"An' them green eyes are pretty cute, too. I bet _all_ the boys fall all over ya, don't they?"

"N… no!"

"Aw, they don't? They must think yer outta their league or sumthin'. Which y'are, no doubt."

"Eh…? You… think…?"

"Yeah. A cutie like you? _Way_ outta their reach!"

"Uh… umm…"

Watching Saiyo's flustered expression, Aya was starting to feel slightly cruel; she tactfully changed topic.

"So, ya like gardenin'? I hear yer very good, but likin' sumthin' an' being good at sumthin' are totally different things."

"Um… yes…"

"It's good that ya like what ya do fer a livin'. And y'got it all laid out for ya, too. Yer pretty lucky."

"Umm…thank you…"

"Me? I didn't wanna be here – well, you prob'ly guessed that when we met. Right?"

"Ye… um, well, I…"

"But it ain't _so_ bad. It'll be better now I'm friend with y'all here," Aya said; then she smiled directly at Saiyo. The flustered teenager began to bow anxiously.

"Um, um, may I – umm, can I show you something?"

"Sure! What is it?" Aya said; guilt at her intimidating directness was starting to overcome her. She'd let Saiyo worm her way out of it this time.

"It's… my favourite place, and… it's very pretty… and…" Saiyo rose from her seat, pointing feebly at the door.

Aya took the hint and got up. Saiyo wasn't going to actually _say_ anthing, that was for sure.

-------------------------

The spring was beautiful and clean. Lilies still bloomed on the surface; delicate glowing flowers carpeted the ground before them. The trees arched over the little scene, leaving it pleasantly shaded and free from frost or snow.

A large tree – the largest Aya had seen for a while – stood to their right as they stood right in front of the spring.

"To think such a place was right behind my farm," Aya said, skimming a small stone across the smooth surface of the spring. "It's refreshin' just bein' here!"

"They say… the Harvest Goddess lives in it… so it's called the 'Harvest Spring'…"

"Makes sense."

"Uh… that big tree is said to, um, house all the…harvest sprites…"

"Izzat so?"

"Yes… I often come here… to think…"

"It's real quiet," Aya agreed. She gazed around thoughtfully; a bright yellow tent on the other side of the river caught her eye. A large, muscular man wearing glasses stepped up from what seemed to be the earth, stretched, and disappeared again.

"Who was _that?_"

"An… archaeologist…" Saiyo said shyly, catching a glimpse of him too. "He says there are a lot of fossils… and his wife has come with him… to stay…"

"They must be cold in that tent," Aya reflected.

"Yes… probably…" Saiyo nodded. Then she glanced up at the canopy of leaves over them, took a deep breath, and began to scamper resolutely back the way they had come.

"Hey, where you goin'?"

"I need to… work… I'm sorry…"

"Oh – no worries. I'll catch ya later."

"Yes…" Saiyo said, bowing apologetically and rushing away. Aya marvelled at how one person could be so shy.

Saiyo disappeared from view surprisingly quickly. Aya shook her head, put her hands on her hips, and sighed.

"Honestly… 'Harvest Sprites'? 'Harvest Goddess?' Who do they think they're foolin'?"

_What do you mean?_

Aya jolted; she hadn't heard a voice, so much, but something had just put a thought into her head that didn't belong there. It had faded fast, just like speech – unnerved, she started to back away. Sheller screeched in panic and jumped down from Aya's shoulder; he disappeared round the bend so fast he was just a blur.

_Don't you believe we exist? _The thought insisted.

"No, I don't," Aya said after a moment, addressing thin air and trying to edge away. "Yer a wistful legend thought out by the locals, who want sumthin' to blame when it all goes wrong…"

_It won't go wrong. Not under our care._

"Uh…who _is_ this? Some kinda practical joker?"

_You don't belong in this place. You must leave._

"Hey, I never asked to be here!" Aya cried shakily. "Yer startin' to sound kinda threatenin', here!"

_The farm isn't yours. Just sell it and move on; you must not stay…_

"Knock that off! I'll stay where I wanna stay!"

_But you were so keen to leave. Why have you changed your mind? What can you possibly achieve in this little village, on that little farm?_

"I… dunno…"

_You _**_must_**_ go. Don't you see? This isn't your place!_

"That you, Toya? You messin' with me?" Aya demanded. "Come on out an' face me like a _real_ man!"

**_I don't want you here._**

The thought had never been more clear or loud. Aya yelped.

Suddenly, the spring began to glow; water leapt up from the previously calm surface, and twisted together. A vaguely human form, a woman, began to materialise – in one blurry golden hand, she held out the pebble Aya had skimmed.

_All you touch is tainted. _**_I don't want you here. You do not belong here._****_Leave now, or I will destroy you!_**

"This ain't funny!" Aya howled, backing away. "Stop it! A natural spirit shouldn't be so… so… so _violent!_"

_Go in peace, or I _**_will _**_destroy you! I will not let you taint my land for one moment longer!_

Aya screamed and fled; when she returned to the farm, she didn't wait to talk to Toya. He was disappointed and a little confused when she ignored him, even though he had been leaning on the gate nonchalantly, ready for her return; and he was even more confused when she zoomed into her house without a word, as Sheller had done a few minutes earlier through an open window.

He watched bemusedly, and then stuck his hands in his pockets and strolled into his own house, pausing only for a quick squint at Aya's house for any sign of her re-emerging. There were none, so he went into his own home and shut the door.

-----------------

"Oh, crap, Sheller!" Aya cried, out of breath and trembling. "What _was_ that? What in the heck's goin' on?"

"Ooooooook!" Sheller screamed, scrabbling at the door desperately, trying to escape.

"I dunno what I'm gonna do now. It ain't like… anybody'll… believe…"

She trailed off.

Sitting in the centre of table, surrounded by a small pool of water, was the pebble she had skimmed.

She very carefully, wearing a pair of oven gloves, picked up the pebble. She very carefully hurled it into the shallow churning river near the farm, and very carefully mopped up the small puddle on her table.

Then she got into bed and tried to sleep, gazing at her wall as it grew steadily darker – it _had_ been early afternoon when she first clambered under the covers – and hoping the pebble would still be where she had hurled it the next day.

Naturally, when she turned over restlessly to find the pebble back on her table, she screamed the place down and chucked it, with mad terror and a ginger grip, out of the window as though it were a large spider.

She didn't get much sleep that night.


	4. Chapter 4

**Ho, ho, ho… usually my stories take SO LONG to write, I mean really. LONG time. The secrets don't start getting revealed until much later. But… I think I'll start revealing stuff now! Hurrah!**

**There's a lot of dialogue in this one… it's fun to write, and key to the plot, but I don't know how fun it is to read. Sorry… (;-;)**

**I may have warped the Goddess' character too. Hmm. And this is a very serious Chapter, and the tone changes, and… well, anyway, I don't know how much y'all will like it. But if I wrote it in the usual fluffy style, it REALLY wouldn't work.**

**So enjoy Chapter 4 as much as you can, and thanks for the reviews!**

**CHAPTER 4**

"That wasn't funny, Toya!" Aya yelled. Toya gazed back at her coolly, his eyebrows raised in mild confusion.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Don't play dumb! Ya scared me half t'death, ya JERK!" Aya screeched. "I _know_ it was you – nobody else'd be so sick! I mean, I hadda think it through overnight, but - "

"Excuse me – if you're going to keep on at me like this, can you do it while walking? I have to keep working," Toya said, heading off to his orange trees.

"Shut up! An' stand still! I oughta plaster ya - !" Aya yelled, following behind him like a little dog.

"Hmm. Resorting to mindless violence?"

"_Shut up, I said!_ What you tried t'pull – it weren't funny. It seriously weren't!"

"**Oook!**" Sheller agreed viciously.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Toya said levelly. "But I'm going out later; are you going out, or staying in today?"

"Shut up!"

"It was a reasonable question…"

"Not comin' from _you_, Toto! Stupid Squatter!"

"I see," Toya said; he shrugged. "You should try farm work sometime. It might relax you."

"Shut up!"

"Or at the very least, it should distract you from yelling at me the whole time."

"_SHUT UP, I said!_"

"Whatever happened yesterday? You were running all over the place. You and that…" Toya glanced at Sheller, smirking. "…Thing. You ran home looking _very_ frightened. Did you get too much fresh air, City Slicker? Or did you see a _scary_ raccoon?"

"**I know it was you, so quit the act, jerk!**"

Then Toya did something _very_ unexpected. He reached out, grabbed Aya's chin with one hand, and one of her hands with the other, and pulled her in close. He gazed down at her with sudden rapt attention; he was focused entirely on her. He looked serious and gentle and cool all at once – Aya was speechless for a moment.

"Uh – don't you dare – " she began uncertainly.

Then he kissed her.

Aya didn't move. She didn't make a sound. Completely frozen in shock, she just stood there and took it; when he was done, Toya gently stepped back and gazed at her thoughtfully for a moment. Then he smiled, quite suddenly, and quite… well… it was a very human smile. And that was unusual for Toya. He usually looked like an alligator with toothache (though not in an _ugly_ way) or a hungry reptile of _some_ kind.

"You were saying?" He asked, turning round and getting to work on his tree.

"… Uh," Aya replied. She almost fell over in shock; her delayed reaction was coming, and no doubt it would be an angry one, she was completely sure.

But it turned out to be nothing but the most obvious, embarrassing blush she had ever had. The palms of her hands began to prickle with sweat; her mouth opened and closed wordlessly. And when she did speak, she didn't manage to say much.

"Uhhhh… uh… um…"

"You sound like… what's that girl? You know, the one on the vegetable farm…? I don't know."

"S… uhm… T- Toya…"

"What?"

"Um… h- ha… ha!"

"Those are very unladylike sounds," Toya remarked. He clapped his hands together and patted the soil from the front of his trousers. "I'm going out now. Have a good day."

As he passed by, he smiled at her amusedly, and brushed her fringe out of her eyes.

"You should get your hair cut," he commented charmingly. "You'd look very cute without this big fringe in the way of your eyes."

"…_Huh?_"

"See you."

He strolled from sight calmly, his hands in his pockets. Aya stood completely still where she was for several minutes after; then resolutely turned and, breaking into a run, began to follow her resident Squatter.

--------------------

He went to the Harvest Spring. Aya was unwilling to follow him, really, after her scare the day before. But in the end, finding out what he was doing there was more important – she needed to know if he _had_ rigged up the thing the day before. And she also needed to know if he was meeting another girl there – not that he would be, she was sure. She didn't even know why it mattered, but she _did_ know she wouldn't mind if he met a _boy_ there…

He stood in front of the Spring patiently for a few minutes; and then it began to glow again. Sheller shot off like a rocket, leaving Aya and her shaking legs – which didn't _quite _give way - to spy on Toya alone. As it had yesterday, it began to form the shape of a girl in a bright golden light; she wore a long plait down her back, and her face seemed very sad and pale. Now that Aya thought about it, the flowers that had glowed so brightly the day before looked dim; some looked like they had died.

_Toya…_ a voice said. It wasn't a thought any longer, but really a voice. Toya glanced up at the girl almost sulkily.

"Yes? You called me here?"

_Toya… that girl must leave…_

"She's not **that** bad. It's almost more fun with her on the farm," Toya replied innocently, and not answering the question. He was becoming quite the politician.

_Can't you __**see**__ it? Everything it growing pale and wan. I can't… _the voice trailed off helplessly. _Get rid of her, Toya._

Toya didn't reply; he wheeled around and gazed vaguely across the river to the bright tent.

_You're falling in love with her, Toya._

This time Aya's knees really did give way. She slumped to the ground, now unable to see but very able to hear; she rested her head, stunned, on the compact dirt of the hill that supported her farm.

**Toya was falling in love with her? **Impossible! She'd have to gauge the truth of it by Toya's reaction, she decided. But it was hard to think now, having heard that…

"Don't be ridiculous," Toya said eventually.

_You know it's true._

Toya tutted, but he didn't deny it.

_Our agreement was that no love should be hers, and from her no love should be felt in return._

"Be quiet. She still hates me. As long as that's the case, it will be easy," Toya replied irritably.

_No, Toya. She is falling in love with you too._

The blush returned in a triumphant swoop; Aya almost fainted. How did that girl **know** these things? How did that girl know it even before she did? Well, probably Aya would have known before, but she'd been telling herself it wasn't so. Falling in love with someone after four days? Especially someone so _cruel?_ Impossible. It must be.

But it really wasn't; with a small gasp, she realised this meant that she and Toya were _in love._ No way! She didn't know whether to dance, faint or throw up.

There was no response from Toya for a long while.

"…Is she?" He asked at last, almost suspiciously.

_Yes. The two of you, both, are infatuated. You can __**see**__ the results all around you!_

"I can't help what I feel," Toya snapped suddenly. "It's almost unbearable. To even _like_ a girl like her… I feel ill. It's despicable."

_I know. She must not be loved, or feel love for another._

"But besides what I feel, I did my best to repulse her. _I _can't understand girls, can I?"

_You __**kissed**__ her, Toya. I hardly think that has helped matters, do you?_

"…Shut up. Girls don't like being kissed against their will."

_She didn't seem to mind! And, Toya, nor did __**you**__. What are you __**doing? **__We have a deal!_

"Stop nagging me."

_Toya, if you do not stick to your side of the deal, I cannot stick to mine._

"I know, I know. The love makes you unable to – blah blah blah. Do I care?"

_You __**entered**__ this deal with me! You can't just walk away from it!_

"Shut up…"

_**If you tell me to shut up ONCE MORE, I will destroy you!**_

"Go on, then! Destroy me – just like you were going to destroy Aya!" Toya yelled unexpectedly. It was the first time Aya could recall him using her proper name.

A stony silence followed; the tension was electric. It hung in the air oppressively. Aya held her breath.

_Toya, you truly are despicable. If only you could be like this to Aya…_

"You _can't_, can you? You're too weak!"

_All things will die without me - **help** me, Toya!_

"Find someone else to do your deal with!"

_Toya! You know that I can't! It must be **you**. I don't want to die, but if I **do**, this village with be the first to know it. It will die violently and suddenly, and that will spread everywhere under my reach… **everywhere**, Toya. If you carry on being so selfish, you will die too._

"No. There are other Goddesses of nature in other places. They'll step in."

_They won't. They have their own concerns._

"And you called **me **selfish?" Toya snorted scornfully. "But I'll just go to _them_. I'll live in their regions, under their care. Your one will just have to be dead."

_**Toya!**_

"I'm bored of this. It's getting so corny…" He said; Aya could hear him starting to walk away. She suddenly realised that being caught here would be very awkward, but her legs didn't want to move…

_Toya, listen to me! You think you can find happiness anywhere without me? You __**have**__ to live within seven miles of my spring, or you will just revert. Don't you remember? _

"I don't care."

_You can't love anyone in __**that**__ state_, the voice said. Aya could almost make out the strains of triumph in it. _And she won't love you. You know it's true._

"You don't know that," Toya replied. He sounded very cold indeed, now. Aya wondered if he must just strangle the 'Goddess' anyway, regardless of the whole argument.

_I do. You came seeking help, and you found me. I can help you – but only if you help __**me**__. You mustn't love her, and she mustn't love you – nor anyone else._

"She loves her mother, doesn't she?"

_Don't play stupid! You __**know**__ I mean romantic love!_

There was another icy pause. Aya felt the argument would soon be ending, and anxiously started trying to stand up…

_I can give you all you need, Toya, but you have to stop her from being in love with you, and fall out of love yourself._

"Never mind what **I** am, **you** don't understand love at all!"

_It is unimportant. Those are the facts. And you must stop anyone __**else**__ falling in love with her, and vice versa._

"**Fine.** I'll do it, then – I'll do it! All right?" Toya snarled unexpectedly.

_Good. Thank you, Toya_, the voice said sweetly.

"It's no use playing innocent now."

_I am sorry, Toya. If she only hadn't come here… but there is an __**easy**__ way to end all of this._

"Pray tell," he responded coldly. He had reverted into his emotionless self again… for some reason, Aya felt disappointed.

She managed to get unsteadily to her feet and begun to reluctantly make her way back to the farm, holding the wall of dirt for support. The voices continued to drift down to her.

_Have her die,_ the 'Goddess' said, both calmly and eagerly at once, somehow. Aya almost fell over again in shock.

"You'd have me murder her?"

_No… all I need is for you two to let your feelings fade a little. One of you must stop loving the other, and that would be enough. Or you can have you both fall out of love a __**little**__ bit…_

"And then? You don't honestly believe she'd die because of _that?_"

_No, of course not. And then, you'd bring her here… and __**I **__would do it for you._

"You?"

_Yes. If you do what I say, my powers will return a little. I will be able to take on physical form again, and then… I can kill her._

"With your bare hands?" Toya asked, revolted.

_If need be._

"That's disgusting. I won't do it."

_You have no choice, unless you want to keep on suffering!_

"I'll take the suffering," Toya said, and he started to leave again.

_Now that she is involved in this, if __**anyone, at any time, **__**anywhere,**__ falls in love with her, for the rest of her life, it will have the same effect. And if you **both** left and fell in love again away from here, I would still die…_

"So she's irreversibly involved?"

_And so are you. You would ever have to pursue her, breaking her heart by preventing any love from blooming, and holding back your own heart too. Wouldn't it be easier for you both – no, **kinder**, to destroy her now? To stop her suffering now?_

"Those decisions aren't mine to make."

_That's why I have made them for you,_ the 'Goddess' said firmly. _She must die if either of you are to ever have peace in life again, Toya._

For a long time, there was no reply; Aya could barely hear them now, but with each word uttered her legs grew weaker and slowed her down. She paused now, desperate to know the outcome of the argument…

"You're right," Toya said at last, his voice completely void of emotion. "You're right. I'll bring her to you, in due time, when your powers come back a little."

_Thank you, Toya. I'm sorry you have to do this._

Now Aya could just see him; he had been walking up towards her, but now he stopped and turned back to the Goddess scornfully. Her heart beat painfully inside her chest; she was going to die? They'd kill her? _Toya_ would?

"No, you aren't. You're not sorry at all."

And he walked away. Right up towards her. She couldn't move in time; Toya was staring coldly at the ground now, but he would look up at any moment. And he would see her. Who knew what drastic action he would take then?

"Oh, crap…" she whispered desperately.

With a sudden, thoughtless push of her arms, she flew out across the dirt path and into the river with a small splash. A pair of ducks, startled, loudly flew upwards and away, quacking. Aya rolled into the reeds, trembling, waiting to see what would happen now.

Toya's head appeared over the lip of the river; he looked cold, heartless, almost angry. He stared down at her; she stared back up. They'd seen one another, no mistake – now what? She couldn't move. She suddenly felt too tired.

She couldn't love anyone, ever, or she'd kill hundreds, maybe thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands of people and other living things. But she loved Toya, she thought ashamedly. She didn't _want_ to. She didn't even like him. But now he was going to have her killed. She'd die.

Then his eyes softened a little, and he looked eternally sad. Sad. Toya was sad. That didn't fit at all.

Aya stared back up again, slightly bewildered. Then he disappeared from view without a word, and Aya lay in the river, half-frozen, for a while. She couldn't be bothered to move, knowing what would happen in the end. Nothing mattered.

She was going to die, and even if she didn't, she couldn't ever fall in love or be loved… and she'd proven on that stupid farm that being dislikeable didn't make you unlovable. Even pretending to be cruel and rude wouldn't necessarily work. She'd have to just stay away from everyone forever and not risk it.

She couldn't even be bothered to move. She was too tired. She was much too tired.

As the cold began to really get at her, and she closed her eyes wearily, she thought she felt unfamiliar hands hauling her out of the river and into somewhere warm; unfamiliar voices addressing her, addressing one another. She wondered who they were and wondered if one of them was Toya, ready to kill her as she was in a faint.

Then she faded out of consciousness altogether, and for a little while at least, she didn't have to think about anything.


End file.
